Southernmost presence of the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) in the Mexican South Pacific

Francisco Villegas-Zurita, Fátima Castillejos-Moguel, Fernando R. Elorriaga-Verplancken

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

This note constitutes the first report of the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) for Oaxaca. This subadult male was found stranded on a beach in Cerro Hermoso, in the Lagunas de Chacahua National Park (PNLC). This record is highly relevant because the normal range for this fur seal is farther north, in Guadalupe Island and a recolonization site in the San Benito Archipelago, more than 1,300 km from the stranding location. This is the southernmost report for A. townsendi and the first case for Oaxaca, increasing the number of known marine mammal species for this area in the Mexican South Pacific. Because of the current population growth of this otariid, we highlight the necessity of tracking these atypical sightings over time.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1107-1109
Number of pages3
JournalRevista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
Volume86
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Dec 2015
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Arctocephalus townsendi
  • Atypical distribution
  • Marine mammal
  • Oaxaca
  • Pinniped
  • Stranding

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